1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to free weights used for body building and more particularly to dynamic weight resistance training devices.
2. Description of Related Art
Dean, U.S. Pat. No. 3,482,835, teaches a dumbbell or barbell with generally conventional appearance and a means for manual gripping, provided however, with novel identical, uniformly rotatable, unbalanced weights. Exercise is achieved by anatomically resisting the centrifugal force resulting when the weights are caused to spin.
The following art defines the present state of this field:
Drees, U.S. Pat. No. 2,991,585 describes a handle member having a flat bearing surface at one end, a spindle projecting axially from said handle member medially of said bearing surface, a head at the outer end of said spindle, inner and outer arms each independently swingably mounted at its inner end portion upon the spindle for free rotational movement, the inner arm having its inner end portion seating upon said flat bearing surface and said outer arm having its outer surface of its inner end abutting the head of the spindle, said outer arm being mounted upon and abutting the adjacent face of the inner arm at the spindle, said arms being of substantially the same length and carrying at their outer extremities ball-like structures, each of said ball-like structures including portions projecting into the path of movement of the bail-like structure of the other arm, whereby said ball-like structures will abut when the arms are reversely rotated.
Burzenski, U.S. Pat. No. 3,403,906 describes an exercising device combination, the combination comprising a shaft, at least one wheel rotatably journaled to said shaft intermediate to the ends of said shaft, said at least one wheel having a nonabrasive outer rim, collar members fixedly attached to said shaft contacting the outermost portion of each of the opposed outer faces of said at least one wheel to maintain said at least one wheel in position intermediate the ends of said shaft, handle means spaced apart from said collar members, said handle means consisting of a pair of grip members coaxial with and slidably associated with the ends of said shaft to enable variation of the length of said shaft by axially sliding said grip members on said shaft, each of said grip members including spaced apart indentations for receiving the fingers of the user of said device when grasping said grip members, and spacer means inserted between said collars and the inner ends of said grip members and positioned around said shaft, whereby said wheel is rotated along a surface in response to force applied to said grip members providing various exercising positions for the user of said exercising device.
East, U.S. Pat. No. 3,550,312 describes an amusement and exercise apparatus comprising of an elongated handle portion having rotative end portions coupled to either end thereof which are rotatable about a common axis; ratchet-like camming means coupling said end portions to said handle portion, said camming means limiting rotation of said end portions to opposite directions; and pendulous means attached to each end portion whereby reciprocal motion of said handle portion in a single plane will cause said end portions and the respective pendulous means affixed thereto to rotate in opposite directions about said handle portion.
Meek, Sr., U.S. Pat. No. 3,672,093 describes a handheld weight swinging apparatus comprising of a frame handle from which there outwardly depends spaced apart shafts, with each shaft receiving the end of an arm in journaled relationship thereon. The free depending end of the arm is attached to a weight in the form of a ball so that when the frame is properly held in one's hand and manipulated, each of the balls may be pivotally swung about their respective shafts, with the direction of rotation being clockwise, counterclockwise, or in opposed direction with respect to one another, dependent upon the manner in which the handle is manipulated.
Mitchell, U.S. Pat. No. 4,339,127 describes a wheeled hand-held exercise device for strengthening the muscles of one's midsection. The device has at least two wheels mounted on an axle and has shafts connected to and extending both coaxial with and perpendicular to said axle.
Bold, Jr., U.S. Pat. No. 4,900,017 describes an inertial force, accommodating resistance exercise device and method. The subject device includes a nonrotating structure of enhanced mass and at least one wheel connected to the nonrotating structure to permit the device to be rolled to enable a user to perform accommodating resistance exercise. The mass of the nonrotating structure may be varied according to the requirements of the exercise by substituting inertial disks of different size and/or an inertial cradle or cage member. In exercises utilizing the instant invention resistance is accommodating indirect proportion to the speed with which the mass of the nonrotating structure is translated and direction in which it is translated.
Cheltenham, U.S. Pat. No. 5,259,824 describes a hand-held, friction stabilized, multi-exercise device comprising a body having a substantially flat, wall frictionally gripping surface thereon, the surface facing laterally; and manually grippable handles carried by the body and projecting in longitudinally opposite directions at opposite sides of the body. Two such bodies, connected by a bar or bar assembly, may be employed during exercise
Domenge, U.S. Pat. No. 6,099,444 describes an inertial exercise device that includes an internal hollow casing containing one or more spherical shaped weights for rolling and/or sliding movement within the hollow casing. The weights have an initial force imparted to them by a user of the exercise device. Once set in motion, the mass of the weights provide an inertia to the exercise by requiring the user to maintain the movement or work against the movement of the weights. Different types of motion can be imparted to the weights so as to provide exercise of varying difficulty and to provide exercise to different muscle groups.
Selsam, U.S. Pat. No. 6,312,364 describes a blow-moldable container, having a centrally located, generally tubular handle spanning a central recess has improved balance and ergonomics over existing blow-molded containers. Such a balanced container has great utility as a handheld freeweight, or as a container for pourable substances. An integrally molded base allows our container to be stood upright on end like a regular bottle. Products may be marketed in such containers under the premise that the consumer automatically acquires a freeweight by purchasing the product. The inclusion of fitably engageable contours on its top and bottom surfaces makes such a container stackable with others of its kind, for ease of packaging, shipping, and storage. A graduated set of handheld fillable freeweights may thus be compactly stored without a special rack. Since blow-molding offers great economy of production for sufficiently large numbers of containers, the average person will now be able to afford an entire graduated set of freeweights. Such freeweights may be shipped empty, and filled with water by the consumer, slashing shipping costs, and thereby further reducing the cost to the consumer. Blow-moldable, two-handed freeweights (barbells) are also disclosed. These also may be provided with contours offering enhanced stackability. Voids to fitably engage a user's feet further add to their utility. A deck member, as well as base members, may be stackably combined with the freeweights to form a stepping platform for aerobics, or an exercise bench. Methods for attaching fillable auxiliary weights to our handheld freeweights are also shown.
The prior art teaches devices having swinging pendulous masses such as balls, hand-held weight swinging toys, axle mounted wheel exercising devices, reciprocating weight exercise devices, gyroscopic exercisers, inertial exercise devices, exercise wheels of a wide variety of types, and water-filled free weights, but does not teach a dumbbell type of hand weight with off-center or unbalanced weighting for rotational exercising. The present invention fulfills these needs and provides further related advantages as described in the following summary.